Saturday, September 23, 2017

Teddy 15 months

Teddy learned lots of new words this month which has been so fun! He now says mama, dada, all done, bye bye, hi, ball, dog, ma (for grandma), Ada (for Amy), bubble, cheese, moo, and shoe. He also signs for more and please all the time. He has this new word "doot doot" that we don't know what it means. He seems to say it most while we're driving and a big truck/bus/work vehicle drives by but who knows.

He continues to be our little bookworm and I still find him in his room reading books to himself. He completed our library program challenge of reading 1,000 books before kindergarten! He would happily read books for an hour on my lap in our chair. Without nursing our new naptime/bedtime routine is climb into sleep sack, put Pup Pup on one shoulder and our white lovey on the other shoulder, drink some milk while we read books. We then sing some songs, say prayers and Teddy falls asleep on his own in his crib. Some of Teddy's favorite lullabyes are Sweet Baby James, Where You Lead, Here Comes the Sandman, I Am Like A Star and Child's Prayer.

He has gotten really into brushing his teeth this month and loves to do it himself. He also wants to walk up and down stairs instead of crawling. He has (finally!) learned to hold onto my hand while we're walking so I don't have to carry him so much. Teddy has two new teeth this month and still a great eater! He is officially a one nap kiddo so afternoons before Blake gets home can get interesting ;)

We love you Teddy Bear!

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Teddy 14 months

Teddy has turned into a little chatterbox this month. Since returning from Utah, he follows me around all day just blabbering away. He now says "mama" all the time but if he really wants my attention he shouts "MOM!" at me like a full blown teenager. As we drive around in the car doing errands, Teddy shouts "Mom!" and I respond "yes?" he then proceeds to tell me a long story in jargon. He is starting to self feed and is getting pretty good as using a fork and spoon.

He can now identify his head, ear and eyes but nose is still so hard for us! He usually points to his mouth or eyes when you ask him where his nose is. He continues to be a good eater but can't decide if he wants to take one or two naps a day. Pup Pup is still his best little friend and he drags him all over the house.

Friday, August 4, 2017

Teddy 13 months

This has been such a fun month in Utah! Teddy has learned all sorts of new skills and tricks here. He can now crawl up and down the stairs by himself. He can point to his ear, tummy, nose and knee. He also sticks out his tongue when you ask. He claps his hands for himself when he knows he's done something cute. Grandma taught him something called his "sweet face" which is when he places his hand under his chin and smiles. Haha it's hilarious. He also learned to make a fish face and will do it on command. He had Great Grandma Siddoway laughing so hard she was crying one night at the dinner table.

He new food obsession is corn on the cob. He saw us eating corn one night and begged to hold one himself. I figured he would just roll it around or throw it but he immediately starting eating it! He can hold it up all by himself and eats almost the entire cob on his own. If he sees corn he immediately starts reaching and saying "uh uh uh" over and over until he can eat it.

He is talking a lot more and says "ball" and "dog" consistently. He has become obsessed with dogs in Utah and would go looking for dogs outside every morning with Grandma. Great Grandma Siddoway has helped him use a tiny fork to feed himself and he is so proud of himself whenever he does it correctly. Thankfully Great Grandma Siddoway also has an Amazon Echo because Teddy loves to boss "alexa" around all day. He points to it and just yells nonsense haha.

We had a great month celebrating the 4th of July at the Milcreek parade and Pioneer Day. We aslo took Teddy to Bear Lake for the first time and he loved it! There was so much space to run around, a fun playground, Raspberry Shakes and lots of cousin time- Teddy was in heaven. We missed being apart from Dad for so long but Teddy was spoiled with lots of attention and love.

Teddy (and I!) loved running errands with Great Grandma Siddoway and eating lunch together. She loves Teddy and just loved watching him play and run around the kitchen. Teddy has loved having a big backyard to run through the sprinklers, swing and throw his ball around. At night we hang out with Grandma in the fun basement with all the new exciting toys. Its been a great month and we're so sad to leave! But we're excited to see Blake again!

Monday, June 26, 2017

Teddy 12 months

ONE YEAR! It's crazy to think one year ago Teddy entered our lives forever. It has been the best year of our lives and we feel so blessed to be parents of such a sweet, funny, patient, relaxed and smart baby.

Aunt Amy flew into DC a few weeks before Teddy's birthday and we had a blast seeing the sights, playing with Teddy, shopping and eating yummy food. Teddy ADORES Aunt Amy and would always reach for her when I was holding him. They have a special bond and we loved our 2 weeks with Aunt Amy- not to mention her help on the plan flying out to Utah.

Teddy is 100% personality all of the time. He is a charmer now and knows when he is being adorable. Babyhood is long gone and he is a little tot now. He continues to love swimming and water play and has no fear. He loves to pretend to feed himself and feed others from empty spoons and cups. He gained 2 more teeth this month on the top. He is such a good eater and loves all food except sauces like ketchup and fry sauce. He has loved discovered bacon, watermelon and pizza this month.

Aunt Amy taught him his first body part and he can now point to his knee when you ask. He is babbling much much more and is chatting our ears off all day. He still naps twice a day and takes forever to fall asleep in his crib, just chatting and rolling around for about 20 minutes.

We had a fun "party animal" theme birthday party for Teddy with some of our friends here in VA. I had a blast making decorations, favors and food. The hit of the party was the Italian Soda Bar! Teddy dug right into his giant cupcake and ate a good portion of it. He just kept eating and eating haha. He is a social butterfly and loved celebrating with all his friends.

Happy Birthday to our sweet Teddy Bear! We couldn't love you more!

Monday, May 22, 2017

Teddy 11 months

Teddy is a runner and climber now. He took his first (real) trip to the beach in OBX and loved every minute. He was in nervous awe of the ocean and first but then happily played in the wet sand and little waves all day. He also loved his first time swimming- jumping right into the cold pool with a big smile on his face! He attempted to blow bubbles in the water and has no fear.

He also has no fear at the park. We meet up with his bestie Cohen weekly and those two just run and explore without a second look back and their mamas! Teddy learned to climb up all the equipment and bravely handles all of his many spills.

Teddy continues to be a very social baby. He smiles and waves at all the other babies and kids (he doesn't know) when we're out and about. Sometimes he will still get random stranger danger when an adult talks to him, he is still especially wary of all the Trader Joe's cashiers (?) He still loves story time. It will be interesting to see him adapt to the older class once he turns 1. He's kind of the big kid on campus compared to all the other little babies so his story time world might get rocked.

He is fun and playful and loves to rough house with Blake. When we play "chase" with him, he gets a big excited smile and nervously dances his little feet. Then when you inch closer, instead of running the other way he will run straight into your arms. Haha kind of the opposite of chasing but it's adorable. 

He still naps twice a day and after a rough week of teething (the worst!) is back to sleeping through the night. He still loves to eat any food we are eating and can grab food off of plates in lightening speed. His new favorite foods include blueberries, blackberries, goldfish crackers, waffles and quesadillas. 

He still loves to "read" to himself in his room. He continues to love to shut doors and pull out all his books into a big pile and sort through them all. FaceTiming Aunt Amy multiple times a day is his other favorite past time :)


Happy 11 months to our wonderful TBear, its been another great month!

Monday, April 24, 2017

Teddy 10 months

This month has flown by as Teddy has learned to WALK! He took his first few steps in our living room one weekend. After a few days of a couple of steps here and there he is now walking all around our apartment.  He can stand up on his own now too. 

His first Easter was so much fun. He got a fun basket full of goodies including some bunny ears. He wore his ears all day and didn't seem bothered by them at all. He loves to wear his little baseball hat at the park too. He's a hat guy like his dad.

Teddy is still a sweet, content and a happy baby. Teddy is also curious and determined. He loves to explore every cupboard, drawer and new space he can find. He keeps me on my toes all day. He climbed INTO the shower this past week (fully clothed) while I tried to sneak in a quick 2 minute shower. He also loves to run away naked when I try to change his diaper- looking back and laughing at me while he escapes ;) His cutest new skill is giving kisses. He gives slobbery open mouthed kisses to a few beloved people and it's adorable. 

He now naps twice a day and is starting to sleep in a little more (7:15 feels so much better than 6:45 for some reason). He still loves to eat any food we are eating and can grab food off of plates in lightening speed. Teddy still loves pureed veggies the most.

Teddy has turned into a class clown at story time. He gets lots of ohhs and ahhs and applause from other moms/nannies when he walks and he eats up the attention. He smiles and claps for himself when he walks around the circle of other babies :) He loves to clap his hands, kick his feet and shout "ahhh" (for hooray) during the song If You're Happy and You Know it. He just started waving today! It's so cute. He is so social and LOVES to go up and approach other babies, familiar or not. And he knows the sign for "all done" now during meal time. He is making his speech-language pathologist mom proud. 

He still loves to "read" to himself in his room. He also loves to shut doors and often shuts himself in his room and then gets sad when he can't get out. 

Happy 10 months to our wonderful Teddy Bear, its been another great month!

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Teddy 9 months

9 months! This feels like that last big milestone until the biiig milestone of ONE YEAR OLD. Time slow down! This past month has been fun-filled with visits to Aunt Amy and from Grandma Barbara. We had a great trip to Cincinnati to see Amers and Teddy loved his first trip to the zoo! Grandma Barbara came for a quick weekend visit and Teddy finally got a taste of her famous lasagna and she of course spoiled him with new toys and books! Teddy continues to be a sweet, active and funny baby.

Teddy is fast! He no longer follows us from room to room but rather leaves us to go discover different rooms on his own. He loves to play with the blinds and look out the window in our bedroom. Then he inevitably discovers Blake's drawer of electronics-- treasure!!! He cruises along the couch at lightening speed and can briefly stand up by himself for a few seconds. When he realizes he is standing on his own, he excitedly flaps his arms, causing him to fall down :)

He still takes 3 naps a day and is sleeping well during the night. I think he's getting a top tooth in this week so sleeping has been a little off. Teething is just the worst. He still loves solid food and some new favorite foods include yogurt, grapefruit and goldfish. He does not like cut up peaches or pears. (?) We recently bought him a straw sippy cup and he is obsessed with drinking from it now.

Teddy is starting to display some stranger danger here and there. He especially dislikes Trader Joes when he is far away from me in the check out line or when the (nicest) cashiers try to give him a sticker. CRY FEST!
But usually he is a friendly happy baby.

Story time at the library is a favorite activity and he acts like a little angel. He quickly crawls away from me to go sit directly in front of the librarian. He stays perfectly still and listens intently to her story. Occasionally he crawls back to my lap, nuzzles in for a seconds then crawls back to his spot. It's so adorable I just beam with pride the entire time :)

A few times a week he will still fall asleep nursing and I soak in the cuddles as long as I can. Cuddles are hard to come by these days as he just wants to be on the GOOOOOO.

I often catch him "reading" to himself in his room. He throws down a bunch of books from his cart until he finds the one he wants (usually his fuzzy lion book) and will sit and turn the pages for about 10 minutes. He is very serious throughout the whole process and rarely cracks a smile.

Happy 9 months to our dream boat, its been another great month!

Teddy 8 months

This past month has been a blast with Teddy. His sweet personality is really shining through. He is a happy, friendly, ACTIVE baby.

Teddy is a crawling pro and now follows us from room to room in the apartment. He gets so excited when he crawls around a corner and spots us. He smiles, laughs and crawls at super speed toward us- simply adorable! He stands up on e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. I'm doing my best to encourage more crawling and discourage walking (Dr. V wants babies to crawl for 5 months and we do whatever that baby genius tells us!!!)

He slept for his first 12 hour stretch the other night and wow! It was glorious! We're back to sleeping about 10/11 a night and 3 naps a day so we'll take it! He is eating solid food like a champ and especially loves peanut butter and tortillas (of course! he's our child after all!) He loves bath time more than ever and is a blast to bathe. Teddy loves other babies and we're working on the whole "soft touches" thing because he is especially interested in touching others' eyeballs or pulling hair :)

Teddy is a sweet baby and is developing a funny sense of humor. He loves to rough house, be tickled and play peekaboo. He hit his mouth on a church pew this past week and cried so loud I had to take him out of the meeting (he was fine). Afterwards, multiple people in our ward came up to me and said "I heard Teddy crying and I didn't think he was capable of crying! I've never seen him sad!"

Happy 8 months to our dreamy Teddy Bear!



Teddy 7 months

This January has been somewhat of a blur with our first major case of household sickness. First Blake, then Teddy, then me, then Blake again. It's been a party at our house ;)

Teddy has been on the move this month! He is now a crawling pro and attempting to pull up to stand on everything. He is happiest when he's holding our hands, standing and bouncing up and down. He learned to sit up in his crib which has been wreaking havoc on his whole-sleeping-through-the-night-thing. (boo). Teddy now loves food- especially avocado, banana, oatmeal, and carrots. He loves singing and song time, especially when I show off my awesome Disney karaoke skills. Teddy loves rough housing with Blake including tickling and playing airplane. Teddy is a little charmer and flirts with all the Target and Trader Joes employees. He continues to be a happy, sweet baby who has our whole hearts.

Teddy's First Christmas!

Teddy's first Christmas was a magical one, made even better by the massive snow storm that hit Christmas eve. We woke up to lots of beautiful perfect snow, the biggest SLC storm in decades! Teddy got lots of fun presents (thanks everyone!) but he seemed to enjoy the wrapping paper and the $1 light up reindeer wand the most haha.

Teddy was spoiled with so much love and attention while in Utah. Everyone loved him, especially all the teenage cousins and Great Grandma Siddoway. Everyone took turns stealing him at all the family parties. Great Grandma would just chat with Teddy all day long as she puttered around the kitchen and he played in his exersaucer. "Now we're going to cut up our grapefruit but first we need a special knife." "Aren't you just the most perfect baby?" "What did your parents do to deserve you?" "Are you having fun?" It was adorable. Great Grandma gave him his very first teddy bear for Christmas! It's a vintage bear from a famous bear factory in Germany.

We had a full three weeks filled with playing with Elle, Livy, Winnie and Lisa during the day and partying with Grandma Barbara at night. Throw in lots of diet coke-filled errands and baking and there you have it!

A few highlights were seeing the temple lights with the Thatchers, Grandma and Amy. Teddy helped build gingerbread houses with his cousins, frost our traditional sugar cookies and make braided bread. We played in Teddy's first snow (he had mixed reactions)

Grandma did baby crossfit with Teddy every night and he learned to scoot on all fours, sit on his own better and do a downward dog. He is so active now!

Teddy 6 months

Teddy's 6th month was the best because we celebrated all month long in Utah! His first Christmas was so fun it deserves a separate post soon to come.

At 6 months, Teddy has now learned to get up on all fours and do this adorable rocking/scooting thing with his bum. Thanks to Grandma Barbara doing baby crossfit with him every night in Utah, he does this hilarious yoga downward dog move too. Usually it just results in him face-planting the floor but it is adorable nonetheless. He also loves to spin on his tummy like a dial on a clock to reach whatever he wants. He is getting really good at his pincer grasp and can swipe objects away from you at an alarming speed.

We started solid foods a few weeks ago and he was a little skeptical at first. Sweet potatoes and squash are apparently not his thing. We are following the Dr Jed VanDenBerghe (#myuncle #blesshim) method of eating so Teddy got to finally have fruit Christmas weekend. He LOVED applesauce and bananas. If he really likes something he will suck it off the spoon soooo fast. He also got little bity tastes of frosting, a dunford donut and some icecream because...#christmas.

My mom borrowed an exersaucer for us to use while in Utah and Teddy went nuts jumping in that thing for hours on end. He would have the most serious/calm expression on his face while his little feet were going nuts doing the river dance.

Teddy continues to be our little blue eyed angel baby. He took a sleeping hiatus in Utah, waking up every few hours during the night. We were sure we had ruined our perfect baby but he is back to sleeping through the night in Virginia #whew. He smiles at everyone and laughs easily when given attention. Grocery shopping with him now takes twice as long because he can sit in the cart so everyone can see him. We get stopped every few feet by grandmas, employees, children, and teenagers as he makes friends with everyone he spots. His sweet disposition and big blue eyes continue to melt everyones' hearts, most especially ours! We love love you Teddy Bear! Fastest and best 6 months of our lives!


Tuesday, January 3, 2017

2016 Year in Review

0:  hours of sleep during the night this summer (#thanksteddy), hours of commuting for Blake (lucky duck can now walk to work!)
1:  C-section, BEAUTIFUL BABY BOY BORN, Georgetown certificate program completed (Stefi), new apartment, new ward
2:  new church callings, new parents!!!
3:  diaper bags now used (I have a purse problem), new recipes discovered
4:  year anniversary celebrated, days trapped inside during epic blizzard, batches of baby food made so far, new disappointing episodes of Gilmore Girls watched :(
5:  new podcasts discovered, baby showers thrown in our honor (#spoiledbaby), holidays celebrated with Teddy
6:  visits from family members, average number of times strangers stop us in grocery store to fawn over Teddy
7:  airplane rides with Teddy, work trips for Blake
8:  meals Stefi has cooked (hoping some things change in 2017 :S )
9: new books read, babies born this year in our old ward, big work projects (Blake)
10+:  hours of labor (more like 30 but who's counting.....), baby gear items purchased, blow outs, Cafe Rio take outs, diapers changed, baths given, hours snuggling, kissing and holding baby 

Safe to say 2016 has been our best year yet!
 
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